§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance his Department will offer to promote industrial activity(a) in the Gosport area in general and (b) at the Ferguson plant in particular in the light of the announcement by Thomson Consumer Electronics that it intends to close the Ferguson factory.
§ Mr. LeighThe best way for the Government to support firms in the Gosport area is through its policies aimed at controlling inflation and encouraging sustained economic growth. Eligible firms there benefit from access to DTI schemes aimed at helping them to become more efficient, encouraging innovation and promoting exports. DTI's Invest in Britain Bureau and the English unit promote new direct investment by overseas firms to the United Kingdom. IBB can give individual inward investors information about locations where sites, premises and labour are readily available to meet their particular needs.